holcomb



(No Mo'dl.)

E. M. HOLOOMB 8?; F. E. MILLER.

GAR BRAKE ATTACHMENT. b No. 297,130. v PatentedApr. 22,1884.

WITNESSES: w INVENTOR: I 771/. 7551M?!) K r M 6 mm BY [z qToRNE'TZ NITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELI M. HOLCOMB, OF BAY SPRINGS, AND FREDERIcK E. MILLER, 0E EVELINE,MICHIGAN; SAID HOLGOMB ASSIGNOR TO SAID MILLER.

CAR-BRAKE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,130, dated April22, 1884.

Application filed August 27, 1883.

T0 aZZ whom izi may concern.-

Be it known that we, ELI M. HoLcoMB, of Bay Springs, Charlev'oix county,Michigan, and FREDERICK E. MILLER, of Eveline townshipfCharlevoixcounty, Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Gar-Brake Attachment,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of our invention is to provide a new and improved attachmentfor protecting the ratchet and pawl of a car-brake from rain and snow,and for facilitating the releasing of the car-brake after the same hasbeen drawn up tight.

The invent-ion consists in the combination, with a ratchet-wheel and abeveled pawl pressed against the wheel, of avertically-movable plateprovided with a downwardly-projecting wedge and a prong surrounded by aspring, which presses the wedge-plate upward. \Vhen the plate is presseddownward, the beveled edge of the wedge acts on the beveled edge of thepawl and disengages it from the ratchet-wheel, all the parts beinginclosed in a casing to protect them from rain and snow.

t'achment for car-brakes, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 isapartly-sectional plan view of the same, the top plate of the casingbeing removed. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the same on the line as m,Fig. 2, parts being broken away.

A casing, A, is secured to the car platform or roof by means of screwsor bolts passed through lugs or jaws in the said casing, and in thiscasing a ratchet-wheel, B, is contained, which is keyed on the verticalbrake-shaft O, which passes through the top and bottom of the casing,and is provided with the usual hand-wheel, l), at its upper end. A pawl,E, pivoted in the casing, has its free end pressed against the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel by a spring, F, held between the same and a Spur,provided for that purpose. A wedge, G, and a downwardly-projectingprong, G are united with a plate, G, having a flange or top plate, 9, atits upper end. The plate G projects through a diagonal slot in the topof the casing, and the bottom of the casing is pro- (No model.)

vided with a diagonal slot, J, and an aperture, K, through which thewedge G and the prong G pass. The beveled edge of the wedge G is to restagainst the beveled side or edge of the pawl E, facing theratchet-wheel. A spiral spring, L, surrounding the prong G", presses thewedge-plate upward. As the pawl E is always pressed against theratchetwheel by the spring F, it at all times locks the ratchet-wheelautomatically. If the ratchetwheel is to be released, the plate G ispressed downward by the foot, and the beveled edge of the wedge, actingon the beveled side of the pawl, forces the pawl from the ratchetwheel,which is thus disengaged. As soon as the pressure is removed from theplate G, the 70 spring L forces it upward, and the spring F presses thepawl against the ratchet-wheel again.

The casing A, containing the ratchet-wheel, paw], wedge, and spring,protects them from rain'and snow, and prevents their being clogged bydust, cinders, &c. I

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-- 8o 1. The combination, with a ratchet-wheeland a springpressed pawl having a beveled side, of a vertically-slidingand spring-pressed plate having a wedge-shaped projection restingagainst the beveled side of the pawl, substantially as herein shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, with the ratchet-wheel B, the spring-pressed pawl EF, having a beveled side, and the casing A, inelosing the same, providedwith a slot in its top and a slot and aperture in its bottom, of theplate G, provided with the wedge G and prong G and the spring L,substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with'a ratchet mounted 9 5 on a brake-shaft andcontained in a casing, of a pawl pressed against the edge of the wheelby a suitable Spring, and a plate held to move vertically in the casingand provided with a wedge adapted to act on the pawl, and with adownwardlyprojecting prong surrounded by a spring for pressing it andthe plate upward, substantially as herein shown and described.

ELI M. HOLOOMB, WVitneSses: FREDERICK E. MILLER.

CHAS. G. LEWIS, J OHN FESSENDEN.

